Generally, printing systems are known which go from a simple desktop printer to a large format digital press which is able to produce any commercial print job and digitally print any size application, including pocket folders, multiple-page brochures, posters, and large lay-flat books, for example. Fully or half-automated digital printers, such as HP Indigo Digital Press, for example, enable highly-efficient imposition of jobs and support a large media range, including different sizes, weight and quality of printing papers, including coated, colored, metallic and other specialty papers and cardboard etc.
These and other printers often operate in combination with a print finishing device which may be integrated or separate from the printer as such. A print finishing device performs any type of post-processing of a printed document, such as cutting, stapling, folding, perforation, margin trim, creasing, coating, bookbinding and the like. Examples of print finishing devices are Duplo DC-645 and Lasermax Page Ready, without being limited thereto. Print finishing devices are fully or half-automated machines which can operate according to different selectable configurations and allow to perform different pre-programmed finishing jobs, such as stapling a predetermined number of pages, creasing, cutting and folding printed pages to a predetermined format, etc. Different print finishing jobs may require different impositions of the printed document.
It is known to provide an image with a finishing mark which can be extracted to determine the type of finishing which is required for the printed document. It is also known to incorporate commands into a print job for determining which finishing operations shall be performed on the print run. The printing device can select a finishing device that can perform all or a maximum of the demands.